PrintRoom

On Saturday 19 September we celebrate the launch of How to Spend an Hour in an Art Book Archive, by our Archivist in Residence, Sam Kim from Common Imprint (Berlin). The publication was composed over the past months in collaboration between Common Imprint and PrintRoom, with contributions by invited archivists-for-one-hour.

We start with a short tour through the exhibition (Un)shared Titles: Book Book Festival in Seoul × PAGES Fukuoka Art Book Fair, installed in PrintRoom’s Living Archive space since early July and open to visitors until October.

The book launch will be followed by a conversation among fellow archivists and reading room hosts, in which they will address the motivation to start an archive – and the way they activate it:

Sam Kim: Common Imprint Reading Room, Berlin Jhen Chen: Limestone Books, Maastricht Matthew James-Wilson: Heavy Manners Library, Los Angeles Nell Donkers: Archive de Appel, Amsterdam Karin de Jong: Living Archive PrintRoom.

Location: (Schietbaanstraat 17)

Join us for an evening of readings, music and conversation!

Anthony will read extracts from his novella 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲, published by Twofold Press; Melvin will present a selection of his compositions from the soundtrack of his film 𝗢𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆. In and around the reading and listening, Harriet Foyster will lead a discussion of the two works, both of which arise from the experience of caring for family members and partners suffering from chronic illnesses.

In 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 and 𝗢𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆, Melvin and Anthony share an attentiveness to simple actions – breathing, touching, and listening – which gain significance in the hyper-vigilant yet meditative subjectivity of the carer. Elements such as rhythm, silence, and interruption, emerging from practices of support and presence, are transposed to structural principles which shape their work. This event presents a moment for their works to stand in relation to each other, and for further harmonies to be heard.

Anthony’s novella 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 and Melvin’s artist’s book 𝗢𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆, edited by Harriet, both printed in first editions of 200, will be available at the event.